Reel for telephone cords



Feb. 13, 1934. A 1 CLlNE 1,946,778

REEL FOR TELEPHONE CORDS Filed April 14, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 13, 1934. A, J, |NE v 1,946,778

REEL FOR TELEPHONE CORDS Filed April 14, 1930 2 `Sheets-Shawl: 2

Patented Feb. v13, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to a pick-up device or reel for use in connection with telephone desk sets for winding up and paying out the telephone cord. The device may be used either for E taking up the cord leading from the base of the phone to the wall box, or for taking up the cord leading from the base of the phone to the receiver or to the combined receiver and transl@ mitter unit in desk phones of the cradle type.

device is preferably applied to the cord leading from the base of the phone to the wall box, as this is usually the longer of the two and the one most likely to tangle. When used on phones oi the cradle type, where the base ordinarily is not moved when the set is to be used, the device is preferably applied to the cord leading from the base to the combined receiver and transmitter unit.

in important object of the invention is to provide a device of this class which may be attached directly to the base of the transmitter supporting stand and which may be readily applied to standard types of phones now available in the market.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pick-up reel for this purpose which will take up and pay out a considerable length of cord without danger of tangling or jamming.

Further objects and advantages o1' the invention will be apparent as I proceed with my specification, which, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

1 is an elevational view of a desk phone of the upright type with the pick-up device attached to the base;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section through the base of the phone showing the pick-up device in detail; A

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section, partially broken, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the base of the phone showing a modified form of pick-up reel for the cord; and

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section, partially broken, taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, the numeral 11 designates generally a desk phone of the upright type comprising, a substantially circular base 12, an upright i3 supported on the base 12, a transmitter head 14 pivotally supported on the upper end of the upright 13, and a receiver inarmallysupportedintheusualmannerona- When used on phones of the upright type the 4.

-side wall of the drum housing 20, and a second,

forked switch arm 16 carried by the upright 13. The receiver l5 is connected into the line in the usual manner by a cord 17 leading to the phone base 12, and a cord 18 leads from the base of the phone to the wall box (not shown) which contains the necessary batteries and leads connecting with the transmission line.

In this type of phone the cord 18, leading from the base l2 to the wall box, usually has considerable length, the phone being placed either on a desk or on a suitable stand where it may be conveniently reached by the operator. According to the invention, a pick-up device, designated generally by the numeral 19, is applied to the base l2 and serves as a means for taking in and paying out the slack in the cord 18 as the set is moved toward or away from the wall box. Referring particularly to Figs. 2 and 3, the takeup device 19 comprises, a drum housing 20 which is circular in form to correspond to the base 12, a clamping ring 21 for connecting the housing 20 to the base 12, and a reel 22 rotatably mounted in the housing 20. The upper face of the drum housing 20 is provided interiorly with a shoulder 23 which engages against the face of the base l2 and affords a support for the phone set. The clamping ring 21v is tapered or dished inwardly to engage against the lower marginal edge of the base 12 and may be applied to the base by passing it over the transmitter head 14 ,and the upright 13. The clamping ring is secured to the drum housing 20 by a series of bolts 24. The drum housing 20 includes a base plate 25 which, together with the side walls, affords a shallow cup-shaped container for the reel 22. A felt pad 26 may be attached to the lower surface of the base plate 25 to afford a soit face for engaging the top of the desk.

A cord-receiving aperture 27 is provided in the 05 and considerably larger, cord-receiving aperture 28 is provided in the housing 20 for receiving the cord 18 after it has been passed through the opening 27 and looped around the reel 22. A portion of the side wall of .the housing adjacent the opening 28 is struck outwardly to provide a pair of opposedbosses 29 between which are journaled a pair of roller shafts 30 carrying spaced guide rollers 31. The guide rollers are each provided with a peripheral groove conforming to the curved surface of the cord 18.

The reel 22 is rotatably mounted on a sleeve 32 which is struck upwardly from the body portion of the base plate 25. A boss 33 carried by the web portion of the reel extends downwardly 110 another.

vents withdrawal of the reel from the sleeve, said bolt being provided with an enlarged head for engaging against a shoulder 35 formed in the lower edge of the sleeve 32. The web portion of the reel 22 is recessed to vprovide a central hub portion 36 from which project spaced disc portions 37 and 38 between which convolutions of the cord 18 are held on the reel. The disc portion 37 and 38 are spaced suiciently far apart to accommodate a single strand of the cord 18 and yet are not far enough apart to allow one convolution to be superposed on The cord 18 is threaded from the base 12 through the aperture 27 to a central aperture 39 in the hub portion 36, from which it is carried through a horizontal opening 40 in the hub portion 36 to the outer face of the hub, from which point it progresses outwardly in a uniform spiral between the disc portions 37 and 38 until the last convolution is reached, from which point it passes between the rollers 31 to the wall box.

The reel 22 automatically takes up and pays out the cord under the action of a flat helical spring 41 which is disposed between the lower face of the reel and the base plate 25. The outer end of the spring is connected to a stud 42 carried by the disc portion 38, and the inner end is connected to a stud 43 carried by the base plate 25. In the position of the parts shown in Fig. 2 all of the slack in the cord has been taken up by the reel 22 and the spring 41 is in the unwound or open position.

When the set is picked up and moved away from the wall box the cord is paid out from the reel 22, the turning of the reel serving to wind up spring 41. As the "set is replaced, the reel 22 turns in a clockwise direction, viewing Fig. 3, under the action of spring 41, and the cord is taken up and placed in uniform convolutions between the guide discs 37 and 38. The rollers 30 guide the cord as it is threaded onto the reel and the strength of the spring 41 is adjusted to return the reel to the wound-up position without exerting an undue pull on the cord. If desired, the cord may be broken at the point where it passes through the aperture 39 and a slip-ring and brush connection provided to prevent undue twisting of the cord at this point. While in this form I have shown the reel applied to the base of the phone, it will be apparent that the same result would be obtained by applying the reel to the wall box.

In Figs. 4 and 5 I have shown a modified form of reel construction for taking up and paying out the phone cord. In this form a drum housing 45 is attached to the base 12 by a clamping ring 46, just as in the form shown in Figs. 1-3. Cord apertures 47 and 48 are providedin the side wall of said housing, the aperture 48 being provided with guide rollers 49 just as in the form previously described. In this form, however, the takeup is designed to lay a double convolution of cord on a pair of retaining drums, whereas in the form iirst described only a single convolution is laid.

In this form the reel comprises an upper drum 51, a lower drum 52, a revolving table 53 interposed between the drums 51 and 52, and a sheave wheel 54 supported on the table 53 and operable to lay the cord in a uniform spiral on the drums 51 and 52. The table 53 includes a hubv portion 50 which is provided centrally with a bore through which extends a pin 55, the

Vinto the sleeve 32, and a threaded bolt 34 prelower end of which is anchored in the bottom wall 56 of the drum housing 45 and the upper end of which extends through a central aperture in the drum 51. A lock nut 57, threaded on the upper end of said pin, holds the table 53 and the drum 51 in assembled relation. A flat helical spring 58 is secured at its inner end to a stud 59 on the base plate 56, and the outer end of said spring is secured to a stud 61 carried on the web portion of the4 table 53. The top drum 51 carries a guide pin 62 around which the cord 18 passes from the lowermost convolution on the drum through the aperture 47 to the base 12.

'Ihe base part of the lower drum 52 is provided with an out-turned flange 63 around which is crimped an annular guide plate 64, said guide plate being secured to the base plate 56 and extending inwardly to engage against the lower edge of the table 53. The top edge of the drum 52 is provided with an in-turned ilange 65 which engages against a shoulder on the peripheral face of the table 53. The lower drum 52 is thus mounted for free rotation on the guide plate 64, its rotational movement being independent of that of the table 53. The drums 51 and 52 serve as reels for receiving and paying out convolutions of the cord 18.

A convolution of cord is laid simultaneously on each of the drums by the sheave wheel 54 which is pivotally mounted on the outer end of a sheave arm 66, said arm being pivotally supported at its inner end between a pair of spaced lugs 67 carried by the table 53. A pair of spaced guide lugs 68 engage against the opposite sides of the arm near the wheel 54 and act as a brace Vfor preventing flexing or lateral bending of the arm. The cord 18 is threaded from the base 12 through the aperture 47, thence around the pin- 62 onto the top drum 51, around which it is threaded in a uniform spiral until the last or uppermost convolution is reached, whence it is looped around the sheave wheel 54 and is carried to the bottom 'drum 52 around which it progresses in aruniform spiral to the uppermost convolution, from which point it is threaded through guide rollers 49 to the wall box (not shown). In the wound-up position shown in Figs. 4 and 5, in which both the upper and lower drumsv51 and 52 have been iilled, the spring 58 is in the uri-coiled condition. When the set is picked up for use the cord is paid out from the drum 52 through the guide rollers 49. In this operation the lower drum 52 rotates in a clockwise direction, viewing Fig. 5, at approximately twice the speed o' rotation of the table 53 which is being wound up against the tension of the spring 58. This difference of speed between the drum 52 and the table 53 is due to the fact that a double convolution of cord is being removed from the drums while only a single strand is being paid out through the guide rollers 49. The speed of removal of the cord from the drum 52, therefore, is approximately twice the speed of travel of the sheave wheel 54. This differential movement betweenthe drum 52 and the table 53 takes care of the slippage which would occur if the drum 52 were made stationary. As the convolutions of cord are removed from the drums 51 and 52, the sheave arm 66 falls slightly to allow the sheave wheel 54 to progressively follow the removal of the cord from the drums. When the cord is all paid out the coil spring 58 is tightened suftlciently so that in the reverse operation the cord may be pmlreasively threaded back onto phone is moved toward the take-up operation the table er-clockwise direction, viewing Fig. 5. to simultaneously lay the cord the phone.

In both iorms or the device the drum housing and clamping ring are preferably enameled to p in color and appearance to the base oi the phone stand. AThe device gives the appearance oi being` an integral portion of the base and does not in any way interfere with the Phone.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness oi' understa only and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom. but the appended claims should be construed as broadly as permissible in view o! the prior art.

What I regard as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A take-'up device for a telephone oord or the like comprising, a cas a reel mounted in said casing, said reel including a fixed drum multaneously winding convolutions of cord onto each of said drums during the take-up operation, and a pivotally mounted support for saidguide member.

ALLAN J. CLINE. 4 

